Over time, Wheel of Fortune has introduced and occasionally retired various gameplay elements.
Round structure[]
The current game structure is as follows:
$1,000 Toss-Up |
Contestant interviews |
$2,000 Toss-Up |
Round 1 |
commercial break |
Round 2 (Mystery Round) |
commercial break |
Round 3 (Express, Prize Puzzle) |
commercial break |
Triple Toss-Ups |
Round 4 (plus extra rounds if time permits; last round is always a Speed-Up at least in part) |
commercial break |
Bonus Round |
Promotional plug |
Post-game chat |
Until shopping was removed from nighttime in October 1987 and daytime in mid-1989, commercial breaks could (and frequently did) occur mid-round.
Current elements[]
- Bankrupt
- Bonus Round
- Cash wedges
- Crossword Round
- Express
- Lose a Turn
- Million-Dollar Wedge
- Mystery Round
- Prize Puzzle
- Prize Wedge
- Speed-Up (aka Final Spin)
- SPIN ID (aka Wheel Watchers Club)
- Toss-Ups
- Wild Card
Temporary elements[]
Retired elements[]
- Buy a Vowel
- Double Play
- Free Play
- Free Spin
- Free Vowel
- Gift Tag
- ½ Car
- Jackpot (daytime)
- Jackpot (nighttime)
- Preview Puzzle
- Puzzler
- Red-Letter Puzzle
- Retro Bonus Round
- Returning champion (aka Friday Finals)
- Shopping
- Surprise
- $10,000 Wedge
- Your Own Clue
Wheel 2000 elements[]
- Double Up
- Physical games (aka stunts)
- Prize Box
- www.Wheel2000.com